Fire Flames

• Madeleine West, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2020

The red sparkling fire spread towards us, taking everything in its path at a rapid speed. It was a scary thought as it was so close. I rushed to my Mum as quickly as I could, she was in her room. I was panting a lot because I was running so fast to her, it was hard to hear what I said as I was still panting. But I think she got the message, I could see the panic on her face rising higher than I thought it would. She went kind of pale and terrified. She started to get all of her and dad’s clothes out and put them in a pile on their bed, shoved them in a suitcase and yelled at me “go to your room and pack everything you really need”!

I opened the door to find my sister following me repeatedly asking “What has happened?” in an annoyed tone, she kept asking and I just ignored her. I finally got to my room and slammed the door shut, she was banging on the door about a million times. I picked my phone up first as it was needed. I looked at my messages and thought that I would text my dad as he was out working. I warned him about the fire. I quickly grabbed my clothes and the rest of the things I needed and went to the kitchen to find no one.

I yelled out, with no one there. I screamed this time, still no answer. I looked out to see my Mum’s car zooming away. With no thought raced after them and yelled wait! But that wasn't the reason they stopped.

I saw my Mum’s car had stopped because there was police cars and ambulance around police tape trying to stop this man who had a lighter setting more and more of the street on fire, but by the time we got there my Dad’s work was burnt down and bodies were being carried to the ambulance, tears filled my face. Then I realised that might not be him, there were also people that had survived. I felt some hope, I sprinted, to only find his best friend crying over him. This time it was more than tears, it was a horrible feeling. I sank to the ground in horror. As I fell to the ground, I saw mum sprinting to him and shaking him saying “wake up” repeatedly. I got up to her and she cried with me, and my sister came too.

That's when a fireman came over to us saying “you have to leave”, Mum took a while to leave but eventually did. But before I left, I did one thing, I said a prayer “Bye bye Dad I’ll always love you”.